The moment everyone has been waiting for ever since the bombshell of all NBA trade bombshells was dropped on the first night of February is nearly here: Luka Doncic is going back to Dallas to play the Mavericks.
Doncic makes his homecoming just over two months after his trade to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis rocked the sports world. Since Doncic's full return from injury, he has been just as effective as he'd been for Dallas.
But the big difference is that he's been much healthier. He's missed just three games since returning to the floor on February 10. No doubt Doncic wants to prove something regarding his health and conditioning after many reports suggested those were reasons the Mavericks, and specifically Nico Harrison, wanted to cut ties.
That means there will be a lot of emotions swirling around Doncic when he re-enters the American Airlines Center on Wednesday night for a crucial final-week contest. Even he himself is not sure what to think or what kind of reception to expect in Big D, as he told ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
"I don't really know what to expect. I don't know how I'm going to feel, honestly. I'm looking forward to being back in Dallas, obviously, with the fans, seeing my teammates -- ex-teammates. It's going to be very emotional for me, for sure."
This game will be an important emotional moment for Luka Doncic and the Mavericks faithful—but it's also a crucial contest in the context of the Western Conference standings.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
With three games remaining for everyone involved, the middle of the West's playoff bracket could not be more congested. The Lakers hold the No. 3 seed (for now) with a 48-31 record. But the L.A. Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, and Memphis Grizzlies are all just one game behind them at 47-32.
Luckily (for the Lakers), two of those teams—the Nuggets and Grizzlies—are in self-inflicted crisis mode after firing their respected head coaches in the midst of this wild Western Conference stretch run.
But still, one of those five teams is going to end up in the Play-In. Dropping from the No. 3 seed and back into the Play-In tournament would be a catastrophe for Doncic and the Lakers, but it could very well happen if they don't take care of business on Wednesday night.
It's going to be emotional, but no doubt LeBron James and the fellas will ensure that Luka stays locked in for this one.
MORE LAKERS NEWS:
- Lakers playoff standings: Updated scenarios, schedule for L.A. in 2025 NBA bracket
- Lakers NBA playoff seeding projections: Best and worst matchups in the first round, from Warriors to Nuggets
- Why was Luka Doncic ejected? Lakers call out referee J.T. Orr for 'personal' technical calls on star